Sunday, April 28, 2013

I know "salad days" usually refers to one's youth or the peak of one's performance. I am by no means in my youth any longer, but I am trying to get back to some semblance of peak performance.

In doing so, I am finding my way through improving what we eat. Because I am secretly, or not so secretly, in love with veggie stands and farmer's markets, salads are my creative and nutritional road of choice back to my "salad days."

Saturday, April 27, 2013

We have been so lucky to spend the last six years of our lives in our beautiful, old home. We always knew we were just borrowing her for awhile. (I could write a great deal on that idea.) We have lived fully here, taking great pleasure in so many things, and leaving our own mark on her history.

Within the first week of our time here, my dad delivered to our doorstep a tiny lilac bush, in full, yet diminutive, bloom. We planted this wee thing at the end of our front porch in hopes that she would survive our lack of gardening knowledge. Survive it did. This small plant has become a formidable anchor in our garden, and our annual heady proclamation that spring has arrived.

This lilac is my favorite part of this house. The few short weeks that it blooms are my favorite time of the year. I spend some time each day with my nose stuck into the branches and usually find blossoms in my hair each night. Of all the material things in the world that bring me happiness, this is among my most highly cherished. I will miss her, but I am so thankful for the spring days I have spent with her.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Without trying to sound like Eddie Rabbit, there is something about driving in the rain. For safety reasons, I would rather not be on the interstate in the rain when I have the kids in the car. When I alone, though, I live to turn the radio off and just listen. Maybe I am just craving quiet tonight, but it is one of life's small pleasures.
(Thanks, Embree, for the photo)

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

After months of getting by because of health, schedules, the need to keep the house tidy for showings, I am feeling starved for good, whole foods.

We always have fresh fruits and veggies around for snacking, and I buy very little processed snack food. It's meal time that has fallen apart.

Until I started feeling bad last fall, I was a whole foods stickler, but surgery, followed by moving, has changed that. I should say, I have changed...and not for the better. Convenience is the name of the game. Maybe not horrible convenience, but far more processed food than I comfortable serving my family. Canned beans, frozen vegetarian gunk, white pasta and jarred sauces. I am suffering. The kids are suffering. Our calorie needs are being met, but not our nutritional needs.

As the weather warms, I am beginning to come out of my funky hibernation and have the energy and creativity to plan and prepare meals again. I believe that food is medicine, that our daily intake determines our ability either to survive or thrive. I want to thrive.

Today, I spent a couple if hours chopping vegetables, simmering lentils, making vinaigrette. Tonight, the boys are having shrimp and veggies. Embree and I will have quinoa salad with zucchini and lots of other veg. Hippie food, I know, and I am hungry for it.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

I am compelled to share this in my last weeks as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown College. If you feel compelled to sign this petition too, visit the Scott County Kentuckians for the Commonwealth Facebook page.

A petition/letter to the Board of Trustees.

Overview +

We support Georgetown College's acknowledged commitment to diversity and advocate for creating an environment where all are welcomed, valued, and protected equally.

Letter
The Non-Discrimination Work Group at Georgetown College respectfully requests that the Board of Trustees revisit the faculty non-discrimination policy. This group is a gathering of students, faculty, and staff who address challenges concerning fairness, diversity, and equality in the campus community. We support Georgetown College’s acknowledged commitment to diversity and advocate creating an environment where all are welcomed, valued, and protected equally.

In particular, we believe it is imperative to align Georgetown College’s policy with its practices concerning non-discrimination. We are proud of the College’s public commitment to diversity as articulated on our Diversity Home Page: “Georgetown College is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive community by respecting and appreciating individual differences and commonalities. Diversity creates a holistic learning environment that prepares our students to be empowered, informed and responsible citizens for our local and global communities.” And we praise the College for establishing a Diversity Committee “to identify critical diversity issues in the Georgetown community and to recommend strategies for addressing them.” We believe that one such critical issue is ensuring that College policies protect faculty and staff from discrimination based on gender and/or sexual orientation. The current exclusion of gender and sexual orientation from the faculty non-discrimination policy conflicts with the College’s public commitment to diversity, especially since the College does not reserve the right to discriminate against gay students. This inconsistency could give the impression that we invite gay students to campus in order to “change” them.

The current policy renders our LGBT (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender) faculty vulnerable to dismissal at any time, regardless of tenure status. This vulnerability curtails academic freedom as well as suppresses voices that might otherwise be supportive mentors and advocates for our LGBT students. The current policy also implies a potentially unfriendly or even hostile workplace for LGBT faculty, and it excludes them from workplace benefits, such as health insurance for their partners and families.

A broader non-discrimination policy would better reflect the College’s identity and aspirations as an intellectual community. Majorities of students and faculty surveyed last year considered accepting gay faculty appropriate to the College’s Christian mission. Our college was founded on non-sectarian principles, and since many major denominations embrace LGBT Christians, even as clergy, we believe our college should as well. Changing the non-discrimination policy would support our college’s commitment to diversity and would align us better with both public opinion and Kentucky’s business community: a 2010 poll showed 83% of Kentuckians favor protecting gender and sexual orientation in non-discrimination laws, and all of Kentucky’s Fortune 500 companies, as well as its top 25 manufacturers/support firms, have inclusive non-discrimination policies. Like these companies, Georgetown would compete better for talented employees with an inclusive non-discrimination policy.

For the professional, psychological, and financial well-being of our LGBT faculty; for the “holistic learning environment” our students deserve; and for all of us at the College who wish to work in an inclusive environment, we ask the Board of Trustees to reconsider changing the current policy. Undersigned are campus organizations that support our request, demonstrating the importance and urgency of this issue to a wide array of constituents. We also include the proposal for revision of the non- discrimination policy submitted to the Board by the Faculty Committee, after a majority faculty vote, in April 2012. Thank you for listening to us on this very important human rights issue.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Spring is finally here! Really!
Though we had a frost warning early this morning, the gardeners were out this morning, plowing the community garden plot next door. It has to be here, right?
Freshly turned earth.
The smell of lilacs in the air.
The grass needs a mowing every week.
This is no false start.
Enjoy it!

Friday, April 19, 2013

No pictures, only thoughts for those involved in the chaos in Boston. My heart aches for the victims and their families. I can't imagine the pain.

I have been wrestling with my personal mantra all day.

NAMASTE. The light in you is the same as the light in me and we are one.

It is easy to feel that for the victims, but if I truly live by that word, then I am compelled to extend it to the bombers as well.

I in no way condone their actions or their decision to express themselves in this way, but I do have to recognize the light, the God, the life in them that I believe is the same in me, and you, and in the victims.

NAMASTE is the basis for my spiritual belief. When that belief is tested by something like this, it would be easy to say...except for you.

NAMASTE, except for you.

No.

This is a nitty-gritty test of my foundation.

We are ALL connected through this light, and all shaken by the death and pain experienced by all in Boston this week.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

E.B. White is one of my favorite authors. His choice of word is lovely and gentle and observant of the simplest things. When reading his books to the kids, it is difficult to keep moving along, as I am tempted to stop so often to point out the beauty of a phrase or image.

Today, a fellow blogger (Walking By The Way) posted this quote from White's work, Charlotte's Web. It works for us now. It should be my daily affirmation.

"Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or hatch."

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Persistence...something many of us struggle with when the going gets rough. Sometimes it is easier, or more rewarding, to persist in situations that are self serving or enjoyable. It is more difficult to persist for the overall good or because we made a commitment, when there is no tangible personal benefit.

Take homeschooling, for example. I will admit, there are days when I find it almost impossible to see benefit to any of us. Another curriculum hits the Goodwill pile. More tears and impatience from all involved. Overwhelming negative energy, when we have to chuck it all for the day and refocus. These days, the elementary school across the street looks awfully inviting. These days I long to stop trying to persist and just give in...clean house, peace and quiet, time to work in the studio, time to get my career back on track.

Then...one day...a mama robin showed up on our front porch. Robins are messy nesters. Mud and straw strewn everywhere until it is woven, piece by piece, into an asymmetrical heap just barely strong enough to hold her eggs. It isn't pretty, but it serves its purpose (a great topic for another post).

So, Mama Robin decides to build her mess of a home on top of the column by the front door. It started with a pile of straw all over the porch, which I promptly swept away. We are selling the house, after all. For three weeks, there was a small pile of straw envy morning. For three weeks, I swept it away. Then the mud started. Black mud piled on top of the column, dripping down onto the porch and all who passed. For another week, we sparred. No real nest yet, just piles of preparation, and my broom. Each time I apologized to her as I swept it away. Two days straight, I swept up a new pile of mud every hour.
How could she be convinced to find another spot?

With threat of more drastic measures looming, I stuck a piece of cardboard up there. She pecked it down twice before she left it alone, but I had won! I had persisted in my fight to keep the porch passable for buyers.

Then I walked out to check the lilac bush this morning...and in another corner, there was Mama Robin, quietly knitting away at her mostly finished cradle. She compromised, but she did not quit. I got my way...a clean entryway. She got her way...a nest in a secluded spot where her babies would thrive.

In that moment, I knew she had a lot to teach me about persistence. It isn't about a stubborn, static plan. It isn't about making our lives turn out just the way we planned. Persistence is a fluid process toward a goal, accepting that unanswered wishes and prayers often prove better than out wildest imaginings. Rivers change course, but meet the sea. She got her nest after all, in an even safer location.

She hasn't been back today, and may have decided I was too dangerous to meet her wee ones. I kind of miss her...and sincerely thank her.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Every semester, my Creative Dramatics students at Georgetown College host a three week workshop for kids. The kids get to learn a little about drama and the college students get a taste of teaching curricula using creative dramatics. Both groups usually have so much fun together. I think that my students most certainly get the most out of the whole experience. I do enjoy watching all of our hard work put into action. These three weeks make every semester fun.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

There is something about spring in Kentucky. It is beautiful everywhere I have ever experienced it, but here, it is extraordinary. Rolling green pastures, foals and mares everywhere, birds busy building nests, and the evening light illuminating it all. I know we will find glory in Indiana springs, but I am thankful for the ten springs we have had in the Bluegrass.

In honor of the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, I present you with Brice's version of the events...using the stairs as visual aid.

"When the Titanic hit the iceberg and started to sink, the water filled the bow and it went down into the water and lifted the stern up in the air. Then it broke in half between the third and fourth funnels. The stern filled with water, too, and went almost straight down, 12,000 feet. The front went further away, and deeper, like here. The top of the stairs is where the stern landed, and the bottom is the bow, further away and deeper."

Friday, April 12, 2013

And, three months later we are still into the Titanic. Talk about immersion. Brice has been planning this model all week. He's drawn plans, made lists, and counted out his money to pay for the play dough. Before I could get in the door from our supply outing, he was at the table with scissors, toothpicks, and baking sheet.

He's built several Lego versions this week, as well as a model from a paper towel roll, complete with a hole for damage and compartments meant to be closed off in case of water intake. This one, though, this one has been the current focus.

I am amazed and pleased. I, too, tend to find new interests and throw myself into them for awhile. He is learning so much. But, as a wholistic learner, like Brice, I am passionately interested in my own things. I don't enjoy learning things superficially, and neither does he. While I identify with his tenacity, I have to admit, I have exhausted my tolerance of all things Titanic.

As his teacher, I am committed to following his learning style. I won't make him stop, and I will continue to marvel in his sense of wonder. I will, however, try to offer fresh material and related topics to keep his learning and my interest active.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

I have serious wanderlust, especially in the spring. As I have written many times this year, we are in the process of moving and will be close to Chicago, Indianapolis, and the Great Lakes. I am ready to get on with the adventure, but there is a teaching obligation to complete, and a house to sell. So, for now, we are waiting.

That doesn't stop the wanderlust, though. Sometimes a morning of lessons on the front porch gives us just enough of a change of pace to momentarily quell the desire. Dinner alfresco, and a little family Lego project during the meal, and we were satisfied for today.

I think we will head out for some hiking tomorrow, if we can beat the coming storms. If not, we'll snuggle down and watch a travel video on Netflix...maybe plan a spring trip to Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

What a glorious few days it has been. The spring sunshine is such a balm for all stresses, even if it provides just a moment's reprieve. There is a lesson to be learned in winter, beyond its own beauty and calm. Winter teaches me every year, because every year I forget, that the first, tentative days of spring are such a gift. I love different parts of the year for different reasons, and I feel lucky to be able to recognize the joy somewhere in just about every day, but spring...spring feels like a rush. Spring, though it marks beginnings, is an end to the bleak. It is a reward for making it through another sleepy winter.

Crazy weekend...with lots of visitors.
:: Nana and Poppy ( my parents. Nana has been here for three weeks, helping out while we adjust to our new normal. Thanks Nana! Sorry you have to go.)
:: Granny (Todd's mom)
:: Sleepover friends
:: Favorite neighbors
:: Theatre buddies young and old
:: and a surprise visit from my niece, and Brice's favorite person in the world...Emma!!

It's been a lovely time, with lots of people we love. We really are blessed in so many ways.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Too much fun...showing the house, opening the show, a house full of company, Daddy home, and some rambunctious behavior be the youngest in the family. Too much fun and I forgot to post last night. Oh well...life on the backroad goes on.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Sometimes there are mystical circles that allow us to go back and touch parts of our lives we thought were gone forever.

A long lost friend, a long cherished friend, from high school, called one day out of the blue. Through moves and college and settling into our adult lives, we hadn't spoken since our senior year in high school. As soon as I heard her voice, I was transported back to a tumultuous time in my life. So many changes piled on top of regular teenage angst...but she was always a shining, loving light. She still is. I am so thankful she called.

Today, after months of trying, we were finally able to get together and play. A visit in the cold and sunny KY Children's Garden was an adventure for the kids and gave us a few hours to catch up on the last 29 years. I hope to see her again. I hate that we just now circled back together as we are moving away, but I am so thankful for this moment and for her.

Monday, April 1, 2013

This is my last production with Stage Left. Indulge me in a swan song, won't you?

With the encouragement of a friend, and financial support from the city of Georgetown, I started Stage Left nearly eight years ago. We started with a small group of kids who loved theatre. No large productions, just eight kids who loved writing plays and improvisation. The original group is now in college, some still planted firmly on or back stage.

After two years of tiny productions and summer camps, we tackled our first main stage production, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I was determined to include every kid who auditioned, every kid who wanted to be part of the production. That year, we were thrilled and overwhelmed with 35 in the cast. It was a marvelously loud and joyful production on a tiny little stage with about three feet of wing space.

Since that time, the program has included main stage productions with boisterous curtain calls of 100 or so in the company, and a more competitive touring repertory company that harkens back, somewhat, to the intense, creative learning of our first days.

There have been some outstandingly helpful, loving, and supportive parents. There have been kids who come back year after year. There has been great talent and enthusiasm in every production and great joy for me every step of the way.

Through the years, there have been a few special kids who wanted to learn it all, who took it seriously and blossomed right before my eyes. I do not take the credit for building these talented kids. I simply made sure the opportunities were there. They did the work. I am proud of the dedication I have witnessed. It has been a privilege to be a part of so many young lives through Stage Left.

This weekend, we open and close my last show with Stage Left. The kids in this company are all regulars, and I am thrilled to work with them one last time. I have had the rare opportunity to witness my own child take her first tentative steps onto the boards and become a confident performer. I am so thankful that she and I have the opportunity to work together in this organization one more time before we leave Georgetown behind...before she ventures out into the world.

Stage Left has been a very special experience for me. It is one that I will share with my grandchildren in a few years...and I will tell them that time spent in the service of others is more rewarding than pay, more than awards, more than any recognition. The best rewards from Stage Left have always come to me when I am no longer needed...when I can step back and let the kids do what they know they can do.

Now it is time to step back and let Stage Left, herself, do what she can do. Just as I hope for my own children to find their own, unique, ways in the world, I hope for Stage Left to continue to grow and change to meet the creative ambitions of the kids in this community. Break a leg!

About Me

tiny arms around your neck, building with legos, rescuing homeless cats, quiet mornings in a rocker on the front porch with your love. All the rest keeps us connected to the "real world" but...SHHHHH...this is the real world for us.
We are a homeschooling family who spends the school year in Midwest and the summers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina...as much of that outside as possible!